U.S. bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor pledged brain to concussion research to help other women

Two-time U.S. Olympic bobsled medalist Elana Meyers Taylor pledged to donate her brain for concussion research in hopes of helping other female athletes.

"I think the hardest thing for me, just being an advocate for women in sports, was knowing that women are more likely to suffer concussions but there’s not much out there on women and concussions," Meyers Taylor said Friday. "How it affects us differently, because obviously there are hormonal differences. We just don’t have the research on it."

Earlier this week, the Boston-based Concussion Legacy Foundation announced the pledge by Meyers Taylor.

She will drive the two-person bobsled for the U.S. later this month in Pyeongchang, a gold medal favorite after winning silver at the Sochi Olympics four years ago.

Meyers Taylor suffered a concussion after a bobsled crash in 2015. The effects were long-lasting.

"The biggest thing is I don’t go down the track with that in the back of my mind," she said. "But I’m very cautious and specific about when I do go down the track. If I’m tired and not feeling well, if I feel like if I have any symptoms, any little hit that causes something to go off, I don’t go down. ... Now I’m just more careful about it. I’m very confident now that I know how to handle the situation."